Monday, March 17, 2014

Mr. Pig Live. . .with Otis Dooda!

Welcome back to hit my talk show . . .

Mr. Pig Live!

Today, my guest is nine-year-old Otis Dooda. He loves Legos and has excellent taste in music, I might add. He's the star of Ellen Potter and David Heatley's Otis Dooda: Strange But True and the just released second book in the series, Otis Dooda: Dowright Dangerous.

Otis Dooda: Downright Dangerousby Ellen PotterIllustrations by David HeatleyPublisher: Feiwel & Friends (March, 2014)ISBN: 978-1250011770
Otis Dooda is starting out at a brand-new school. He would love to make a good impression, but life in Tidwell Towers is never that easy. With his disgusting seatmate, the possible impending alien invasion, and the introduction of his new nemesis, Sid Frackas "The Greatest LEGO Genius Who Ever Lived" (a title Otis thought was his!), things are getting downright dangerous!

Here's a clip from the first book Otis Dooda: Strange But True. Let's take a look. . . .

Welcome Otis! What is your full name?
Otis Dooda. And yes, I’ve heard all the jokes, so let’s move on.

What three words best describe you?
Lego Mastermind/Nerd

Do you have a belly button?
I’m kind of sensitive about my weird belly button, but thanks for bringing that up.

So sorry. What is the best thing about being you?
I don’t hold grudges. That’s why I’m going to forgive you for asking me that last question, Mr. Pig. And to prove that I’m a nice guy, I’ll tell you about my weird belly button. It’s really deep. It looks like a soup bowl for a fruit fly. My brother Gunther used to see how many frozen peas he could stuff into it.

What is the worst thing about being you--besides the um . . . odd belly button.
My brother Gunther. By the way, the answer is seven frozen peas.

Wow. That's impressive. If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring?
A tub of Legos and a case of Snickers bars. Also, my best friend Perry. Plus a 39“ television set, a couple of Go-Carts, a roller coaster, an unlimited supply of hot dogs, and a bean bag.

Illustration Copyright 2014 by David Heatley

When do you feel the happiest?
While I’m stranded on the desert island we were just talking about.

Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?
If you’re giving out superhero powers, I would like to have the power to shoot condiments out of my fingers.

What is your favorite word?
Borscht

What is you least favorite word?
“Cheatin?” That’s how Gunther says, “What are you eating?” right before he takes it from me and eats it himself.

Illustration Copyright 2014 by David Heatley

If you could dine with three characters from other books, who would they be?
Well, it definitely wouldn’t be the three bears because oatmeal makes me gag.

It would be:
1.Willy Wonka, for obvious reasons
2. That caterpillar in The Very Hungry Caterpillar because he only eats tiny little holes out of stuff, so there’d be plenty left over for me.
3. Doctor Doolittle, so I could find out if animals think those funny animal videos on YouTube really are funny.

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now?
Boy, you’re pretty nosy for a pig.

Blame the writers, they come up with all the questions. Do you have any siblings?
Why? Do you want one?

No thanks, I already have two little brothers. They live just down the road, but their cottages aren't built nearly as well as mine. Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes: What is your most embarrassing moment?
It involved a skateboard and a chicken, but that’s all I’m going to say.

Illustration Copyright 2014 by David Heatley

Do you have a pet peeve?
Wouldn’t it be funny if you had a hamster and named him Peeve? That way you could introduce him as my pet, Peeve. Then everyone would laugh at his name. Like they laugh at mine. Which incidentally is my pet peeve.

Gotcha. So, what was it like working with Ellen Potter?
Never heard of her.

Right. Well, here's a bit more about Ellen, then. I think you'd like her.

Ellen Potter is the author of many award-winning children’s books, including the Olivia Kidney series, Otis Dooda: Strange but True (Feiwel & Friends), and Otis Dooda: Downright Dangerous (Feiwel & Friends/March 2014). She lives in Maine with her family and 5,789 Lego bricks.

David Heatley drew all the pictures for the Otis Dooda books, and created the book's soundtrack. When he's not playing with Legos or daydreaming, he creates art for magazines, books and websites all over the world, including The New Yorker,The New York Times, and Nickelodeon. Drop him a line at davidhealtey.com.

That's all the time we have for today, folks. Thank you, Otis! I hope you'll stick around for the delicious lunch our caterer, Nina, from Lunches with Love created just for you!

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About Us

What’s The Little Crooked Cottage? Well, it’s home to two children’s book authors -- Anika Denise and Jamie Michalak, librarian Melanie Roy -- and a pig. It’s also the name of a children’s book blog dedicated to celebrating authors, illustrators, and their creations!